Afterlife
by Strapakai
Summary: This is a companion piece to 'The Harper Drudge'. If you did not read it, this seen will not make sense. As much as I felt the character should die. She had to go to a better place.


Disclaimer: Pern belongs to the wonderful Anne McCaffrey. I just took the liberty of dabbling in that world a little. I am not making any money off of any of it.

You need to read this story first: .net/s/5673079/1/The_Harper_Drudge

As much as I felt Kaya had to die. I felt she went to a better place.

Afterlife

Kaya suddenly was.

The first thing she noticed was the lack of pain. Even in the Harper Hall, she had lived with constant lowgrade pain around her ill healed ribs. She had never told any one about it, although she thought Master Healer Oldive had suspected it. He had often asked her about it. He could have given her medicine for it. However, the pain had been part of who she was, a mark of where she had come from. It was not something rational, or even something she could explain. So Kaya had kept her aching ribs to herself.

However, now that the pain was gone, she felt light and free. It was very similar to the day Silvina had taken off her rags and cut her tangled hair.

The next thing Kaya realised was that there was nothing there. Only white light surrounded her. She wished she could see the Harper Hall. Suddenly as if fog was lifting away, Forth Hold and the Harper Hall appeared.

As the fog lifted, sound of the Hold and Halls rose. There was music, like on a gather day. Intrigued, Kaya did not recognise the song. She thought she had known every single song the Harper Hall had in its archives.

As Kaya walked towards the Harper Hall, a man came towards her. He was tall, with silver hair that hung straight, to his shoulders. She had only seen him in portrait.

"Master Robinton?" Kaya asked. She stopped abruptly, the sound of her voice freezing her in place. "Master Robinton," she repeated just to speak. There was no hesitation. The urge to stutter was gone. It was as if invisible chains had been lifted from her voice. "I can speak!" She exclaimed. "I can talk!"

"Yes I am. Yes you can." Master Robinton said amused.

"I can speak! I can talk!" Kaya repeated. She had never felt so much excitement in her life.

"Yes you can," Master Robinton said smiling.

"You are master Robinton!"

"Yes, I am. You are Kaya." The older man was clearly amused by her antics.

"I can speak with no stutter!"

"I can hear that. No one has stutters here."

"Where are we?" Kaya asked looking around. She only had a vague memory of what had happened before. There was the sense of the immense pain, now gone.

"We are in the After."

Kaya had known this.

"Come this way Kaya Who Can Talk."

Kaya followed him. In the great courtyard of the Harper Hall, there were many people. Some had instruments in their hands and lap.

"Welcome Kaya," said a large man sitting on a huge high-back chair. Kaya had never seen someone so big. His huge sausage fingers crossed over his barrel chest. His voice was deep, melodic. Each syllable carefully enunciated.

Kaya stared at him, hypnotised by his voice. This was the Master Shonogar that those of the Hall had told her about. She had seen his portrait in the great hall. She did not know how long she stared at the master. Time had no meaning in this place.

"Come Kaya," Master Robinton said, indicating to two vacant chairs. "Do you prefer your guitar or your harp?"

Kaya was too busy looking around at all the people assembled. There were dozens of them, many she has seen on the walls of the Harper Hall. Beside the Master Harper sat Merelan and Petrion. Everyone looked very happy.

Master Robinton handed Kaya her harp. It was her harp, but the ramps were gone. Kaya began to protest that she would not be able to play, but realised that her hands were not moving of their own accord. She touched her face and noticed that her head was steady too. She stared at her hands.

"I do not shake, in hand or voice," she said in wonderment. "I do not ache," she added in a whisper.

"There is no pain here," the Master Harper said kindly. "Only music and joy. It is what we wish it to be. Now, young Kaya 'Who Can Talk', please come sing and play for us. We are all anxious to hear you in person."

Kaya took the seat that she was offered between Mater Robinton and Master Shonogar. She played for them with instrument and voice. Eventually, they joined into her song of joy and eternal wellbeing.


End file.
